Etienne, Bryant listed by NFL.com as Heisman Trophy candidates
Clemson's run towards a 4th consecutive College Football Playoff appearance will start in a few months, but until then "lists" will be all the rave. After all, it's the talking season.
The NFL.com listed their top candidates to win the Heisman Trophy earlier today and two Tigers were in the top 18.
The Tigers were the only team that had two players on the list. Here is what NFL.com had to say about the both Tigers.
#13 Travis Etienne
To see Etienne play is to understand why he shouldn't be discounted in this race. Etienne rushed for a team-high 766 yards last year as a freshman -- not exactly a Heisman-level foundation -- but his explosiveness in the open field is elite, and his full potential is far from tapped. His average of 7.2 yards per carry ranked fourth in school history. To contend for the Heisman, he'll need to become more of a focal point in a Clemson offense that typically spreads touches to many weapons. He should see an increase in opportunities in his sophomore year.
#5 Kelly Bryant
Bryant helped lead Clemson all the way to the College Football Playoff last season in his first year as a starter, taking over for Deshaun Watson. He's an exciting dual-threat quarterback like Watson was, but will need to improve significantly on a 13-8 TD-INT ratio if he is to contend for the Heisman. Surprisingly, coach Dabo Swinney said after spring practice that the QB job is an open competition, but it's hard to imagine the quarterback who won 12 games and an ACC title last year won't be back under center.